(A-41) ENVIRONMENTAL TOXINS HARM OUR CHILDREN

Dear Mr. Morton- Living next to Lake Erie, I’m worried about all the toxins our children take in. We have beach closings due to filthy water and warnings about eating Lake Erie fish.- JP, Port Clinton, Ohio

Dear JP- The National Environmental Trust, Physicians for Social Responsibility, and the Learning Disabilities Association for America share your concern. Their research studies estimate that releases into our environment of toxins with detrimental developmental and neurological implications amounted to 24 billion pounds. I encourage parents to write their state and federal representatives, requesting a copy of the first ever, comprehensive look at the sources of such child-unfriendly pollutants- “Polluting Our Future: Chemical Pollution in the U.S. That Affects Child Development and Learning.”

Research accumulates that demonstrates how toxic pollution affects the way that children’s bodies and brains develop. Roughly one out of six children in America (12 million) suffers from one or more developmental, learning, or behavioral disabilities like mental retardation, birth defects, autism, or attention deficit hyperactive disorder. The National Academy of Sciences released a study entitled “Polluting Our Future,” which conservatively concludes that 360,000 children in America, or one in 200, suffer from developmental or neurological disabilities directly caused by toxic exposures.

What can you do? Visit the Children’s Environmental Health Network Website. You can mail them a letter as well at: 110 Maryland Avenue NE, Suite 505, Washington DC, 20002 or call them by phone at 202-543-8797; email cehn@cehn.org They recently trained U.S. physicians in pediatric environmental medicine.

Want to know the environmental health hazards in your town and send faxes or letters straight to top-ranked polluters near you? Contact Scorecard at www.scorecard.org to view maps pinpointing potentially harmful chemicals being released in your neighborhood. Just type in your zip code; it’s quite eye opening.

Fortunately, the integration of brain sciences and environmental neuro-toxicology will prove the connection, but without public outcry, don’t expect much to be done.

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. writes about the natural world. Do you have a Website, WebBlog, personal story or project, photos or articles to share on this site? Please contact us at the secure Bpath Mail Form. We'd enjoy hearing from you!